Roadside Bears | Santa Claus

Harbie (Gone)
C.C. Camperland
Anaheim, CA
Photo courtesy John S. Foley

Say hello to Harbie, former guardian of the Harbor Gasoline stations in the Los Angeles/Orange County area up until the early '70's. Many thanks to John S. Foley for info.

This smiling seal found another roadside assignment at C.C. Camperland on Harbor Boulevard, where travelers could encounter a familiar gasoline mascot without pulling up to a pump. Harbie originally carried a lantern in one hand and a sponge in the other, ready to advertise a little service along with the fuel. Harbor stations used the character before the chain disappeared in the early 1970s. Fortunately, retirement from the gasoline business didn't mean every Harbie had reached the end of the road.

Two of these seals stood at Camperland’s entrance in Garden Grove, just south of Anaheim. An archival photograph places Harbie there as early as 1974, welcoming a different sort of motorist to the property.

UPDATE: The Camperland seals were gone by 2011. Other Harbies have survived at museums, private collections, and businesses, including Crazy Otto’s in Lancaster. Good to see this former gas station attendant still finding work. 10-26

Pilgrim Fence Co. (Closed)
Huntington Park, CA
Photo courtesy Georg Balandran

Check out the oversized salesman at Pilgrim Fence Co. in Huntington Park. A pilgrim might seem an unlikely choice for selling fences, but he certainly made the company name easier to remember. No need to wait until Thanksgiving to encounter this fellow.

The figure gave the fence business a roadside attraction of its own. Among the work yards and commercial buildings, a giant mascot offered passing motorists something a little different to look at. Customers came for fencing, while roadside enthusiasts had another reason to stop with a camera.

Like the cowboys, bears, and genies found elsewhere around Southern California, this character put a memorable face on an everyday business. Quite an assignment for someone dressed for another century.

UPDATE: The Pilgrim was still standing at the Huntington Park location in 2025, continuing his longtime roadside assignment. Good to see this fellow managed to stick around. 10-26

Carpeteria Genie (Gone)
Whittier, CA
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

Standing above Whittier Boulevard, the Carpeteria Genie once gave motorists a familiar face to watch for among the storefronts and traffic. Buying carpet apparently called for a little magic, and this fellow was happy to handle the advertising.

Carpeteria used its oversized genies to make the stores recognizable from the road. The figures held signs overhead, turning the business name into something more memorable than another panel above a showroom. A useful arrangement for customers, and an even better one for roadside photographers.

This Whittier example had the same family resemblance as the genies found elsewhere in California and Nevada. Different locations and paint jobs gave each a little personality, though the assignment remained much the same.

UPDATE: The Whittier genie was removed in 1998. This photograph recalls the days when a trip along Whittier Boulevard included an encounter with a giant carpet salesman. Apparently even genies couldn't guarantee themselves a permanent address. 10-26

Carpeteria Genie (Closed)
N. Hollywood, CA
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

This fellow looks a little lighter-haired than his former Whittier relative. Perhaps life in the Valley agreed with the Carpeteria Genie in North Hollywood. Standing at Laurel Canyon Boulevard and Hart Street, he gave the carpet showroom a roadside presence that was difficult to miss.

The figure has a face on both sides, allowing him to greet traffic approaching from either direction. His raised hands originally supported a Carpeteria sign shaped to suggest a roll of carpet. Quite a bit of effort to advertise something that generally stays underfoot.

Unlike many advertising characters removed when a business changes, this genie found work with succeeding flooring stores. He stood above L&S Carpet before Superior Tile took over in 2017, bringing another name and an orange-and-black paint scheme.

UPDATE: The North Hollywood genie survives above Tile Decor, now wearing gray and white. The lettering and colors have changed, but this longtime Valley resident continues to advertise flooring from his familiar perch. 10-26

See more Carpeteria genies here in Bakersfield and Nevada.

"Cafe Guy"
Long Beach, C
Photo courtesy Georg Balandran

Here’s a little fellow who appears pleased with the passing traffic. Known here as the “Cafe Guy,” this Long Beach character looks like he might be related to the Steak Corral cowboy. Whether he once carried a steak or is simply offering an enthusiastic thumbs-up remains part of the puzzle.

Restaurant figures like this gave motorists a face to associate with a meal. A friendly expression could do some of the advertising before anyone read the menu, especially along streets crowded with competing signs.

The resemblance to other roadside characters makes this fellow worth a closer look. A change of paint or a missing accessory can leave an old advertising figure with a whole new identity. Whatever his earlier assignment, he seems comfortable posing for another photograph.

UPDATE: This view preserves the Long Beach “Cafe Guy I need to look at my old photos to remember the name of the cafe. I'm pretty sure it closed. 10-26